A Divine Taken to Task think you owe an apology not only to Abraham Lincoln, of whom you just spoke, but also to everyone in this church." This unexpected reply from a member of his congregation was provoked by some of Dr. A. ©. Dixon's remarks in a lecture in the series given under the auspices of the Stewart Evangelical Fund at Rocky Point, Pei-taiyo, says a message to the "North China Star."
Dr. Dixon was speaking of the importance of identifying oneself with the Christian Church and its work. Good works alone would not do, he said, and he cited the instance of Abraham Lincoln, who though full of Christian works made the mistake, Dr. Dixon said, of not joining any church.
Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Dixon said, thus made it possible for Robert Ingersoll to say of him that he (Abraham Lincoln) was "the prirtee of atheists."
Some of the loyal] Americans in the audience had grown rather restive under these remarks, and one of them, Dr. H. wry of Peking, rose to his feet "and objected, asking for an apology from the speaker for his remarks about Lincoln. Dr. Dixon replied that he feared he had been misunderstood, that he did not intend to cast any aspersion upon Lin-coin.
I Rut Dr. Lowry was not satisfied, snd lumping up again told Dr. Dixon anita plainly that the remarks about Lincoln had misleading and ought never to have been made in such a place.
There were a number of replies and counter-renues before tha matter was finally dropped and the preacher and objector were eiren a chance to coal off.
Dr. Dixon admitted afterwards that he is a southerner, but denied. that he has anything other than teelings of veneration for Lincoln.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.